Chandigarh (Rajeev Sharma :- Residents across Chandigarh are advocating for increased accountability from municipal councillors amidst growing concerns regarding irregularities and corruption in ward-level projects. Citizens contend that corruption in civic works and services cannot occur without the knowledge or involvement of elected representatives.
Community groups and local activists have raised the issue during recent interactions, emphasizing that councillors, who are elected to oversee development and governance in their respective wards, must assume responsibility for lapses and misuse of funds. “Without the participation or negligence of councillors, corruption is not possible. Each councillor should be directly accountable for their ward, and irregularities found must not go unpunished,” stated Sunil Kumar, a resident from Sector 27.
Allegations include inflated bills for development works, unauthorized encroachments, and misuse of public funds in sanitation and infrastructure projects. Citizens have urged the Municipal Corporation to introduce ward-level audits, transparency reports, and stricter monitoring mechanisms. Activists are also calling for annual performance reviews of councillors to be made public, covering utilization of ward funds and quality of civic services.
Officials of the Municipal Corporation have acknowledged citizen concerns, though no formal policy has yet been introduced to assign direct responsibility to councillors in cases of financial irregularities. The growing demand highlights a shift in public sentiment, as residents expect greater transparency and accountability from their elected representatives in Chandigarh’s civic governance.
